This page looks at non-religious weddings.
Weddings and civil partnerships
Last updated 2009-10-27
Non-religious weddings and civil partnerships
Wedding traditions depend on culture, not religion ©A non-religious wedding marks the commitment of two people to share their lives together just as much as does a religious wedding.
A non-religious marriage is founded on the efforts and relationship of the couple. There is no place in the marriage or the wedding for a supernatural power.
Whether a couple chooses a religious or a non-religious wedding depends on their faith or lack of it, and their cultural tradition.
Humanist wedding ceremonies allow for far greater personalisation than religious ceremonies, which must inevitably follow the directions of a particular church or institution. This allows the ceremony to incorporate words and rituals from a wide range of cultures.
Some religious wedding services include gender-biased traditional language that may not truly reflect a couple's own idea of their relationship. Humanist wedding rituals often emphasise the equality of the partners.
Rings are exchanged ©Humanist weddings
In most countries Humanist wedding ceremonies are not legally valid, and a civil ceremony will be required as well.
Registered Humanist celebrants can conduct legally binding marriages in Scotland (though not currently England or Wales) as of 2005. Humanist weddings have been increasing in popularity as a result: from 80 in 2004, before legal recognition, to 434 in 2006. This figure rose again in 2007 to 710.
The British Humanist Association trains and licenses celebrants to conduct Humanist weddings - but anyone can conduct a non-binding ceremony if they wish to.
The ceremony will reflect the Humanist idea that the marriage depends solely on the efforts and relationship of the couple.
Humanist wedding ceremonies may include:
- Music
- An introduction that sets out the nature, purpose, and importance of marriage
- Readings:
- A ritual of commitment for the bride and groom
- Ritual actions:
- These will include an exchange of rings, and perhaps an embrace, candle-lighting, a wine cup ritual or a hand-fasting ritual
- Formal words pronouncing the couple married
- A non-religious blessing of the marriage
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